Like undead shambling forth from the misty confines of an untended graveyard, previews for the upcoming Stubbs the Zombie are multiplying quickly as the game nears release. Today we have three to offer, one from Gamedaily.com, one from 1UP.com, and finally one from IGN. All the previews describe the gameplay, giving readers a taste of what it is like to control a homicidal zombie on a mission. The IGN preview also delves into the game's storyline.

From the Gamedaily preview:

It appears that the numbers game is a very important part of this title, especially since Stubbs can become overwhelmed in a hurry. Bullets never do a lot of damage, but it piles up (or whittles away, whichever you prefer) if you always have to make the uphill climb through gunfire. Therefore, it's best to bring some friends along, as in seven or eight. I'm not sure how many zombies the engine (the Halo engine, by the way) can display at one time, but even five or six is enough to divert the enemy's attention. The NPCs aren't stupid, so they won't focus on you when several other creatures attack them, which allows you to pick and choose your opponents without having to worry about clearing an entire area. Plus, if your smelly buds manage to take down an enemy NPC, that downed character will also become a zombie.

From the 1UP preview:

Your zombie allies serve a larger purpose than just helping you attack enemies, though -- they can also be used to help you get past roadblocks. In one area, we came across a bunch of landmines set in the middle of the street. In order to get past them, we had to recruit a group of zombie friends and have them run into the mines, blowing themselves up and creating a clear path for Stubbs. Later in the level, another objective required us to gather a group of allies and move them towards a giant literal roadblock in the middle of the street -- with enough of them pushing, the wall will fall over and you can move on.

From the IGN preview:

The detachable hand is great too. You just pull off your hand (hey, Zombies are cool like that), which regenerates quickly, and you hurl it at an enemy. If it falls short, the hand will skittle on all fingers toward him or her and then jump on their head. If it's a direct shot, the hand lands on the opponent, and quick transforms him into your evil puppet. The camera switches to a third-person perspective geared toward staying behind the back of the hand, which is stuck to the opponent's head. This leaves Stubbs behind in a vulnerable state, so it's best to hide or park him in a safe place far from the action when utilizing this attack. From there, you can surprise enemies by looking like an ordinary citizen. More importantly, as an evil zombie puppet masquerading as a normal human, you can get around that old zombie rule -- their inability to use weapons. Human weapons in Stubbs the Zombie range form shotguns, rifles, and rocket launchers to a host of others we haven't seen yet.